You know that Vivaldi opera everyone’s been talking about? (Yeah, La Cieca realizes that sentence looks absurd, but read on.) Anyway, here’s the already infamous nude scene for tenor Zachary Stains from the opera Ercole sul Termodonte, or, as it is more generally known in this country, “Hercules versus the Dental Hygienist.” (NSFW, obviously, since […]
Not the newest observation, but perhaps relevant again at the moment. So, tell me, what do these two ladies have in common (besides the family resemblance, of course)? [UPDATE: I’ve traded out the original image of Joyce Castle for something more representative.]
Another challenge from La Cieca: who is this Miss Lucy? The cher public will make their educated guesses in the comments section, please.
“Soprano Lauren Flanigan turned her vaunted acting skills to the task of portraying the sophisticated allure of Vanessa, hampered more than a little by a stiff auburn wig and dowdy costumes that left her looking like Nellie Oleson’s mother. Happily, on November 8, Flanigan was in superb voice, sailing fearlessly up to fiery high B’s […]
“And so for you opera trivia lovers out there, you’ll be interested to know that the outfit ‘Octavian’ was wearing for the 2007 Tucker Gala’s ‘Presentation of the Rose’ was actually the outfit the ‘Sophie’ wore to the theater that night! Diana [Damrau] actually gave me the clothes off her back, right down to her […]
“Ms. Fleming‘s soprano has gotten bigger and richer since her Dallas debut 15 years ago. ‘I was replacing Carol Vaness in a lot of Mozart repertoire she couldn’t sing anymore,’ Ms. Fleming says of her early years.” You can read more of The Tactful Voice’s audition for the remake of The Women in an interview […]
La Cieca was just wondering about something yesterday on opera-l, and doggone if Anne Midgette wasn’t wondering about the same thing today in the New York Times. (That woman haunts my dreams, I tell you. It’s like she’s inside my head. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…) The point that dear Anne and I (among […]
Last night’s season premiere of Norma at the Met restored Bellini’s opera to musical and vocal distinction but the dramatic fire was burning only fitfully. Hasmik Papian is a hugely experienced Norma who some consider to be the best contemporary exponent of the role. But the key word here is contemporary not best. Her voice […]
Three photos from the same production this time. Guesses in the comments — and if you know the answer, please keep quiet while the others play!
Only a month before her farewell to Las Vegas, pop hurleuse Céline Dion is already making plans for her future. According to Newsweek, “in February, she’ll begin an international tour. Then she plans on settling down in Florida, where she’ll see if she can turn herself into a movie star (her dream project is a […]
Washington Post classical music critic Tim Page ripped DC Councilman and former Mayor Marion Barry in a widely-distributed company email recently, calling Barry a “crack head” and “useless.” The trouble began with an email from Barry’s Communication staff that went out as a “blast” to several dozen reporters and media organizations. Page received a copy […]
Legendary opera diva Anna Moffo spreads her wings in a straight film role — but as a gay character. La Moffo plays the lesbian “Lia” in Das Mädchen Julius. The film concerns the heroine Jules (a girl with a boy’s name) who, according to the plot synopsis, as a teenager had a lesbian experience with […]
La Cieca finally got herself back into the studio this evening for a podcast of the second act of Berg’s Lulu. This performance features the Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna State Opera conducted by Karl Böhm on December 16, 1968. Anja Silja stars as the irresistible Lulu, with Martha Mödl, Ernst Gutstein, Waldemar Kmentt […]
Once again, La Cieca asks: can you name that opera? UPDATE: As several of the cher public have guessed, this is a production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Specifially it’s a new staging at the Hamburg Staatsoper, directed by Christine Mielitz with sets by Hartmut Schörghofer and costumes by Renate Schmitzer. In the above photo, Giuseppe […]
In a controversial performance (condemned by Stephen Colbert, praised by Andrew Sullivan), bass-bearitone Kurt Rydl grrrrowls the role of Hagen. Legendary diva Rosa Ponselle was so impressed by this Götterdämmerung that she dedicated an encore song to Herr Rydl. The (ahem) versatile basso replied with a video tribute to Nancy Sinatra:
Charles MacKay will become The Santa Fe Opera’s General Director beginning October 1, 2008. MacKay, currently General Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, succeeds Richard Gaddes, who is retiring. MacKay comes to Santa Fe after 23 years in St. Louis, where he followed Gaddes as that company’s general director. More details on the appointment […]
La Cieca’s spiritual godmother Tessi Tura (or, more accurately, Ms. Tura’s alter ego George Heymont) has finally emerged from a “retirement” of over a decade. George has turned to the blog format to complete a project he’s had on the back burner since 1990 or so, “a murder mystery set at the Metropolitan Opera House.” […]
La Cieca hears that Andrea Bocelli dropped by the Met yesterday to audition for Peter Gelb. The accompanist, on dit, was none other than James Levine!
This is why drag was invented. The artistes are James Bondage and Bella ToDyeFor.
The death of Ludwig II of Bavaria has been considered a suicide for over a century, ever since the meshugeneh monarch’s body was found in Lake Starnberg near Munich on June 13, 1886. But did the kooky king really take his own life — or was it TAKEN FROM HIM? [sfx: music sting] An article […]
“Opera’s ‘fat lady’ is a Madison cash cow“ In other news: has anyone ever heard Natalie Bancroft sing opera? Ms. Bancroft is the scioness of the family who recently sold their controlling share in Dow Jones (and thus the Wall Street Journal) to Newscorp for a thousand million gazillion pounds or whatever it was. Anyway, […]
La Cieca’s DVR hard drive will be overflowing by the end of this November since the indispensable Turner Classic Movies has scheduled a whole month of “guest programmers.” Among the celebrities gracing the tube to introduce their favorite flicks will be some of particular interest to the parterre crowd. For example, this Thursday, November 8, […]
This performance of the “alternative” entrance aria from Lucia di Lammermoor illustrates why the road not taken probably wasn’t such a good idea in the first place. Note, too, how the technical quality of the video production so aptly complements the efforts of the artiste.
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
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